Book Review & Giveaway: Connecting with Coincidence

In Connecting with Coincidence: The New Science for Using Synchronicity and Serendipity in Your Life, Dr. Bernard Beitman acknowledges that some coincidences will be best explained by randomness, personal responsibility and Divine Mystery, but most times by a combination of the three.

We've all experienced or heard of surprising events and unexplainable coincidences - money that seems to come from nowhere, a spontaneous idea that turns into a life-changing solution, meeting our soulmate on a flight we weren't supposed to take or families being reunited by accident after years of separation. Often these coincidences are explained as being controlled by a higher power or pure chance. But for the first time since Carl Jung's work comes bold new research that explains scientifically how we can identify, understand and perhaps even control the frequency of coincidences in our everyday lives.

Connecting with Coincidence is filled with the interesting anecdotes of Dr. Bernard's clients and associates. Simulpathity, or the act of feeling someone else's stress while at a distance, governs the cause of most of these coincidental incidents. Family members, friends and associates are not exclusive in experiencing simulpathity; strangers like one of Dr. Bernard's research participants bears witness to this. The anonymous participant was going through a marital separation due to the abuse in her relationship. While on the way to meet up with her estranged husband, the participant found herself on the other end of a misdialed call with a woman who was in an abusive relationship as well and terrified out of her mind. Because of this coincidental call, the woman left her husband indefinitely. Meaningful coincidences like that one happen all the time. But when we learn to recognize and understand them - and perhaps even help manifest them - they can improve our lives dramatically.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Points to Ponder

  1. Beitman points out that while there is comfort in routines, it's the willingness to step outside of your comfort zone that opens the doors to possibilities, randomness and adventure.
  2. When transition is coupled with strong emotion and need, it can result in meaningful coincidence.
  3. If conscious intentions interferes, questions too much, doubts too much, advises too much, subconscious goal seeking abilities become thwarted.

The Stress Connection

When you continually soak in negative thoughts and emotions, you activate the stress response.

As Beitman points out:

"High anxiety diverts our thoughts to catastrophic futures, taking attention away from what is happening right now."

He goes on to say that anger and resentment pulls your thoughts to the past and diverts your attention from the present. How often are you awash in anger, frustration, resentment, worry?

The lesson: learn to balance your nervous system in order to have more control of your emotions. Contact me to find out how I can help you help yourself.

Put It to Work for You

On page 250, Beitman has this to say:

"Train yourself to know the good nudges from the useless ones by noting the outcomes. Identify the qualities of your intuitive voice that are associated with good outcomes and with bad outcomes. Test your sense of these qualities by consciously acting on intuitive suggestions with those varying qualitative colourings."

Author Information

Dr. Bernard Beitman attended Yale Medical School, completed a psychiatric residency at Stanford, and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia. The first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to attempt to systemize the study of coincidences, his latest book, Connecting with Coincidence, has been endorsed by Dr. Andrew Weil and hailed by peers as:

"Ground-breaking and powerful - challenges us to examine coincidences and their relevance for meaningful human experience, with greater consciousness, and a heightened appreciation for their transformative potential."

How to enter the giveaway:

  1. This contest is open to anyone of legal age who has a mailing address in Canada or the US.
  2. Contest closes at midnight PST on Friday, June 24th, 2016.
  3. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment.
  4. Earn another entry by subscribing to my mostly monthly newsletter.
  5. For extra entries to the giveaway, get social:
  • On Twitter? Share the following: Enter this #giveaway from @AuntieStress for Connecting with #Coincidence by @DrBeitman: http://wp.me/p2PenP-1KG 
  • On Google+? Be sure to +MariannaPaulson when you share the link, and you’ll earn another entry.
  • Make your way over to my Pinterest Board called "Giveaways." Earn one entry by clicking “Comment” on the Connecting with Coincidence pin, then leave one. Earn another entry by re-pinning this giveaway announcement.

Good luck!


Related posts:

At the movies:

7 Replies to “Book Review & Giveaway: Connecting with Coincidence”

  1. Thanks for this wonderful overview, Marianna!

    It is so interesting to learn about Simulpathity. Who would have thought that a random stranger may not only feel someone else’s stress at a distance but that this could lead to life-changing events.

  2. Hello Marianna,

    Such an intriguing topic — coincidences.

    Per the article, “The Neural Origins of Music Creativity”, scientists “suggest [there is] a link between musical improvisation and loosened control and self-monitoring”. They go on to say “the musically creative brain is trained for letting go of control once in a while to allow the weaker signals of creative insight to surface”.

    I wonder if musicians encounter more coincidences because of this skill of “letting go of control”? It seems to be an antidote to the Points to Ponder #3 in your post.

    Let’s go forth and make music and create coincidences!

    Enjoyed your post, Marianna!

    Jackie Yun

    1. Oh wow, thanks so much, Marianna!

      I’m most excited and appreciative!

      As an aside, one could say that winning this book is also a happy coincidence!

Add a comment!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.